Storytelling has not changed in millennia - 7 August 2026
This week's thread
John Yorke taught a generation of British television writers how stories work.
We think we live in an age of unprecedented change and collapsing attention spans. Yorke disagrees. He argues the fundamental shape of a story has not changed since the Epic of Gilgamesh was first told.
In this conversation we explore that stubborn structure, and what it means for marketers.
We also talk antagonists, emotion, and why conspiracy theories make such good stories.
What I learned this week
How to structure ideas: storytelling expert style
With John Yorke.
- Story structure adapts to its medium. The core shape has not changed in millennia, but the container - whether it's a theatre stage or TikTok video - dictates the form.
- Every story needs an antagonist. The most powerful villains are internal emotions your audience already wants to defeat - not necessarily external competitors.
- Emotion is the mechanism that makes a story believable. The most emotionally resonant version of a story travels furthest, regardless of its factual accuracy.
Why marketers should care: This is a masterclass in how to structure an idea to make it land. The core lesson is that format is less important than you think. If you want your message to be memorable and persuasive, you first need to understand the unchanging mechanics of story.
This week's concept
Goodhart's law
When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.
The thread, pulled tight
The impulse to measure is a good one. But Goodhart's Law is a constant reminder that our metrics are not reality. They are proxies. When we forget this distinction, we incentivise the wrong behaviours and optimise our way into failure, hitting every target on the way down.
Continue the thread
Who, or what, is your brand's real antagonist?
Reply with the best example you've seen. I read every response, and the best ones often end up on Uncommon Thread.
Keep pulling the thread